It’s hard to argue against the results that Rick Pitino has achieved since heading to St. John’s back in 2023. Last year saw him take the Red Storm to a second consecutive title in both the Big East regular season and tournament championship. St. John’s advanced to the Sweet Sixteen to punctuate another 30-win season, though things will look a bit different this year as Pitino hunts for an even deeper postseason run.
Three major players from last season’s team were all NBA Draft picks, notably losing Zuby Ejiofor, Bryce Hopkins, and Dillon Mitchell. Star guard Oziyah Sellers is also gone, leaving plenty of space for new additions this offseason. However, two rising juniors are returning this season, including talented guard Ian Jackson and big man Ruben Prey.
Pitino and his staff rebuilt this roster with a complete package of freshmen, transfers, and international prospects. You’ll see big things from Quinn Ellis, Theo Edema and those other young pieces, but let’s look at the transfer haul. The one that really jumps off the page is Keyshawn Hall, who recently became eligible thanks to various lawsuits and just averaged nearly 20 points per game at Auburn. Former Syracuse forward Donnie Freeman is another major addition while the backcourt also adds Avery Brown from Columbia and Kyle Cuffe out of Mercer.
Instead of those names, even including the great potential from Hall, we’re looking squarely at Tounde Yessoufou and what he means to the Red Storm. A 6-5 guard originally from Benin, he was considering a 5-star prospect before landing at Baylor this season. Yessoufou showed out during what was a disappointing year for the Baylor team, managing 17.8 points and 5.9 rebounds in a remarkable freshman campaign.
From a pure talent and potential standpoint, Yessoufou is a steal for St. John’s and a major addition in every way. Considered one of the top names available on the transfer market, Yessoufou is a phenomenal athlete who can score in bunches and affect the game on multiple levels. He shined as a true freshman in a tough Big 12 and with a leap forward as a sophomore has every opportunity to become the Big East’s best backcourt talent.
With these offseason additions, St. John’s enters another year where the expectations will be heightened, but that’s nothing new for Pitino and company. Even if they haven’t had the postseason success as rival UConn, the Red Storm has been a winning program these recent years. Throwing Yessoufo, Hall, and those others into this mix should only continue that winning trajectory and we might just see St. John’s reaching even higher heights.
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